TKA delivers a TKO

SUNNYVALE – Don't look now, but losing two of the best bats on the Peninsula to the college game hasn't hurt The King's Academy in the first week of the new season.

The Knights have two wins in the bank after Friday's 12-1 scorching of San Lorenzo Valley. They head into Saturday's noon start with visiting Fremont High looking to finish off a perfect first week.

"We're putting the ball in play," said Knights' coach Greg Mugg. "We haven't had a lot of strikeouts comparatively to in the past. I like the fact that we're putting the ball in play."

The contact has been loud, too. On Friday, the Knights had six extra-base hits. Nate Plata did his share of the damage, collecting a double and a triple, but it was Taiyo Peterson's bat that has started the season off with a bang.

Peterson, who picked up the win in Tuesday's win over Ann Sobrato, had four hits including extra two doubles, and four RBI on Friday. Add that kind of production with Plata, Dominic Myung, Justin Cho and Brandon Kinoshita and this is a team that has the potential to make some noise in the PAL-Bay Division.

"I worked hard this off season to get better," Peterson said. "I kind of struggled a little bit last year, so I just worked hard enough to get better at the plate."

The King's Academy scored a run in the first, two in the second and three in the third to jump to a 6-0 lead. The Knights added thee in the fifth and three more in the sixth to end the contest with the run rule.

"We have a list of things that we want to do every game," Peterson said. "We want to score first and keep adding to the lead."

W: Huff | L: Fields | 4 hits- Peterson (TKA). 2 hits- Plata (TKA), Cho (TKA), Entzminger. 4 RBI- Peterson (TKA). 2 RBI- Cho (TKA), Entzminger (TKA). 3B- Kinoshita (TKA), Plata (TKA).2B- Enger (SLV), Mitchell (SLV), Peterson 2, Myung, Plata.

Carlmont 7, Half Moon Bay 3

The Scots long-awaited season debut couldn't have gone better. The trio of Jacob Shinseki, Arnav Prathipati and Levi Wellman allowed three runs on seven hits.

Meanwhile, Carlmont pounded out 15 hits. Caden Stinson and Zayden Luzzo led the way with three hits each, while Shinseki, Ryan Attard and Wellman had two hits each.

Nate Werbinski drove in two runs, while Stinson had a triple and Wellman added a double.

Clark Colucci had a double for Half Moon Bay.

The Scots will face Palo Alto on Monday in an opening-round game of the Mike Hazlett Tournament in Santa Clara, while Half Moon Bay will host Lowell on March 4.

W: Shinseki | L: Castro | 3 hits- Stinson (C), Luzzo (C). 2 hits- Shinseki (C), Attard (C), Wellman (C), Colucci (HMB). 2 RBI- Werbinski (C). 3B- Stinson (C). 2B- Wellman (C).

Buchanan 9, Bellarmine 8

After taking an 8-6 lead by scoring five runs in the top of the seventh inning, the Bells failed to hold the lead as Buchanan came back with three runs of its own in a wild game in Clovis.

The two teams will play again Saturday afternoon.

Drew McClelland and Ollie McNamara led Bellarmine with two hits each, while Isaiah Beyah added a solo home run.

W: Plasencia | L: Kim | 3 hits- Plasencia (Bu), Wafer (Bu). 2 hits- Climer (Bu), McNamara (Be), McClelland (Be). 2 RBI- Plasencia (Bu), Climer (Bu). HR- Beyah (Be). 3B- Plasencia (Bu), Finegan (Bu). 2B- Wafer (Bu), Plasencia (Bu), McClelland (Be).

Leigh 12, Homestead 3

The Longhorns rebounded from Tuesday's shutout loss to Saint Francis by showing the kind of offense that put them into the Central Coast Section tournament a year ago.

Sean Burke led an 11-hit attack with two hits and three RBI, while Graham Pasani, Sho Sakoda and Aiden Phillips had two hits each for the Longhorns.

Drew Hamburger and Joshua Fraleigh had two hits each for the Mustangs, who fell to 0-2.

W: LeConnte | L: Donahue | 2 hits- Hamburger (H), Fraleigh (H), Phillips (L), Saloda (L), Burke (L), Pisani (L). 3 RBI- Burke (L). 2 RBI- Hernandez (L), Pisani (L). 2B- Phillips (L), Burke (L).

Capuchino 6, Aragon 1

The Mustangs, who were held scoreless for the first five innings before tying it at one, came to life offensively in the seventh by scoring five runs to win going away.

The win improved Cap's record to 2-0, heading into Tuesday's contest with visiting Harker. Aragon travels to Lynbrook on Saturday.

Jordan Estrella came out of the bullpen to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up the win.

After two walks and a double by James Ayoob gave the Mustangs a 2-1 lead, the Dons unraveled defensively by committing errors on the next four batters to turn what was a tight game into a laugher.

Jake Wilson had two hits to lead Capuchino, while Estrella also had a double.

W: Estrella | L: Nagad | S: 2 hits- Wilson C). 2B- Ayoob (C), Estrella (C).

Hillsdale 10, Mills 0

Tommy Schultz threw three shutout innings to earn the victory as Hillsdale opened the season with a victory under the lights in Millbrae.

Jacob Charlz Gemetara had a three-run double for the Knights, while Jaden Minahan added a triple.

W: Schultz | L: Janke | 3B- Minahan (H). 2B- Gemetara (H).

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